((There is currently no Aegis covering the secondary site. And Morticia was given a token for the Aegis of the primary site, at the council meeting, even though we did not play it out. She is here as a protected guest, after all.))
((Opening the trapdoor while maintaining concentration on the spell wouldn't be trivial, as it is quite heavy and the position less than ideal, with the spell providing no leverage. I would say EF of 15, same as casting another spell. Much easier to simply grab the ladder or do this the old-fashioned way. As in, ask your grog to do it! ))
The view from the top of the tower is indeed spectacular, with the valley of the Rhine visible for miles, as is the elevated part of Koblenz. Turning, Morticia can also see another river flowing from the left side of Koblenz (thus west, as Koblenz is to the north of the tower) and into the Rhine. Small mountains can be seen farther north. And the slopes along both rivers are carpeted with fields, some of which have already been harvested. Forest is still quite prevalent on more distant parts, particularly to the south (where she came from) and east (on the other side of the Rhine).
Morticia looks around, suitably awed., and tries to get a good feel for the lay of the land, what's where, and where she might be most likely to encounter spirits if she were so inclined.
The covenant is not visible from here, hidden by the forest. But there is much else to be seen from the tower.
Looking more closely to the west, Morticia realizes that the river that joins the Rhine at Koblenz isolates the tongue of land where the city is located. It flows on an south-north orientation up to almost due west from the tower, then curves onto a more southwestern course. ((That is the Moselle river.))
To the east and a bit to the south, another smaller river merges into the Rhine. ((That is the Lahn river.)) At the junction, a small village is visible, straddling the river, with stone fortifications along the Rhine.
Of Koblenz itself, parts of the wall as well as the churches' towers are clearly visible, as well as a number of small farms outside of the walls. These come at an abrupt stop at the edge of the forest, curving around it to the west along the large river (Moselle).
To her disappointment, Morticia cannot see much that would indicate a nexus for spirits or ghosts.
By the time she is done surveying her surroundings, Petronius has joined her at the top of the tower.
[color=blue]"Ah, good eve...good morning, Petronius," Morticia says when she turns to see who climbed up the ladder. [color=blue]"Sorry, I almost forgot what time it was...I'm not used to being out and about this late. How are you doing, sodalis?"
((I'm confused. Petronius has been with her all morning, giving her the tour, and now she's acting as if she hadn't seen her in a while. I was simply playing out the fact that she had some time to look around before he joined her on the roof.))
[color=blue]"This is a magnificent view, Petronius. You can see so much, and so far, and the city and the rivers look like I could almost leap there."
She thinks for a minute. [color=blue]"If I were to learn Leap of the Homecoming, I could Leap there from here, couldn't I? And would I be able to see this tower from there, to Leap back? And what city is that?"
"That is Koblenz. And indeed, you could probably translocate yourself there using Seven-League Stride." He thinks for a moment, "Although you'd want to make sure that you arrived somewhere where you can't be seen, which may be a bit more difficult. As for coming back, I've never thought much about it. It is certainly possible that there are locations within the city where you can see the top of the tower. I haven't looked for such locations, but I'm sure some must exist."
"I know the tower is much more visible from the river. Which is why we tried to keep its ruined look even when we had its interior restored. Best to avoid mundane curiosity."
[color=blue]"Didn't you say that one of my new sodales (Praxiteles, was it?) has a townhome in Koblenz? Perhaps if we were to rig some way of either making it easy to see from here, or have Arcane Connections to each other? Perhaps a bowl of pebbles at either location, so that when you want to Leap from one to the other, you simply grab a pebble from the bowl and be on your way."
She shakes her head with a smile. [color=blue]"But I'm getting ahead of myself again. Sometimes I just find myself fascinated by the possibilities."
Petronius smiles, "You'll have to discuss it with him, then. I've only been there a few times, so I'm not sure his town house is visible from here."
((OOC, I don't think it would be, if the house is located anywhere within the city walls. The part that's visible would be the walls themselves, and the belltowers of the churches. But I'm leaving it up to Jonathan to decide that, as it is his character that lives there.))
"Well, that pretty much concludes the tour. We can return to the main site whenever you are ready."
The two magi, escorted by their grogs, make their way back to the covenant.
((That pretty much concludes the thread in regards to Petronius' involvement. You can still use this thread to have Morticia interact with some of the other magi on the following days and weeks, if you want. Or some of the mundanes, perhaps? ))
Some days later, in the late evening, Aedituus knocks at Morticia's door. He inclines his head when she answers, the candle he is holding illuminating his face. "Ave, Sodalis. I heard you moving about, and now knowing that you prefer to work at night, wondered if you would like some company for your breakfast?"
That evening (of the day of her tour), shortly before sundown, Morticia seeks out Laurent the chamberlain, who is unfortunately indisposed at the moment (i.e. he hasn't been made yet, as near as I can tell). So, she seeks out Hans, the captain of the guard, instead.
Once she finds him, she waits patiently until he gets to a convenient stopping point before approaching him. [color=blue]"Might I have a few moments of your time, Captain?" she asks in Latin. Assuming he acquiesces, she will ask his leave to extend her protection over him
[color=blue]"I was wondering if there are any plans to build a hospital, in case (God forbid) anyone should be injured or take ill."
She spends the nights more or less wandering the grounds, getting a better feel for what's where. She especially explores the area around the secondary site and the "ruined" tower, and the tower itself, to get a feel for why the grogs are so uncomfortable there.
[color=blue]"I would be delighted. I wasn't sure how...involved in your work you were and didn't want to disturb you at an inopportune time. But from Petronius tells me, it seems we have some common interests." Morticia lets Aedituus lead her to the dining hall.
"I believe our studies may have some interesting intersections, yes." Aedituus peers back up the stairs toward the maga as they descend, his eyes wide in the candlelight. "My work this season is more about learning spells I should have done long ago." He leads her to a small table off to the side in the main hall, then searches out a servant to bring a light meal. Returning, he continues, "Of course, we have spent much time over the last few years preparing the covenant, and some of our projects have had to be set aside. It is good now that we are settled to get back to the important work. Petronius mentioned that you have some interest in the spirits that drift through the forest?"
The Andalusian captain refuses to let Morticia touch him. He takes a step back from the towering maga who has just invaded his personal space, wrinkling his nose as if detecting a foul smell in the air. "Hostel? Why hostel? We are no monks or nuns here. Don't get much travellers either, here, so not much good would do. Masters don't want much visitors, either. Sick and wounded, we take care in the barracks. Or in the masters' hall, if bad." His Latin is a bit rough but serviceable. But obviously, while not being dismissive of Morticia, he wants as little to do with the maga as possible.
((Note that hospitals were usually run by religious communities at the time, and were often used has hostels, so Hans' confusion is easy to understand. Add to that his rather small score of 3 in Latin, and the effects of Morticia's Blatant Gift...))
((Does she go by herself? With her shield grog only? Day or night? What measures does she take to avoid getting lost in the forest?))
[color=blue]"If they are truly spirits and not fae manifestations of what the people fear, then yes. I feel that I have much to learn from those who have crossed the final barrier, and that they might be able to guide me in some way in my quest. Every little bit of information I can glean, I hope to fit into the grand puzzle I am piecing together. And I have no way of knowing which is the piece that will show me what I am creating."
[color=blue]"Treating the sick and wounded in your barracks...doesn't that make things difficult for your men? Wouldn't you rather they be treated in a place that's dedicated to that purpose and out of your way?"
((She would take Lizette with her, going by night since that's when she's most capable. And with Eyes of the Cat on both of them so they need minimal light to see. She would try to keep in sight of the covenant, but if need be she can cast Rise of the Feathery Body on herself or Lizette to see where they are.))
Hans just shrugs, "Better have them close, keep eye on them. Have room for wounded and sick. It is way it is done. Better this way." He shakes his head, "You want change, you talk to masters." That is clearly the end of the discussion from the captain's point of view.
((So she's basically staying close to the covenant or the secondary site? Say within a mile? I assume she covers Lizetta with her Parma?))
))
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